Chapter 18 Zhao Family

The carriage now stopped at Zhuque Street, the most prosperous street in the capital.

A restaurant named "Zuixianlou" stands on the corner of the street. Although it is not luxurious, it is famous for its fragrant wine and exquisite dishes.

Lu An was completely asleep in the carriage. When he was woken up, he looked up at Pei Yan. He didn't know that he was lying on Pei Yan. Lu An even boldly hugged Pei Yan's arm and shook him, saying, "Sleep for a while."

Eunuch De was so frightened by Lu An that he couldn't help coughing. Pei Yan heard the sound and glared at Eunuch De.

Eunuch De thought to himself, how can I have an easy time?

Pei Yan heard Lu An's confused thoughts long after Eunuch De finished coughing.

[Why am I lying on Pei Yan? Why】

[Actually, I still want to live]

[If I don't wake up, can this incident be treated as if it never happened?]

[Forget it, I'd better go die]

Pei Yan saw Lu An roaring in his heart while quietly taking his feet off his legs.

Lu An wanted to pretend to be asleep like this until the end of time, and then slowly get off Pei Yan and pretend that nothing had happened, but Pei Yan didn't give him any chance.

Pei Yan: "Get off me when you wake up."

Lu An could only pretend to wake up slowly. Seeing Pei Yan screaming loudly, he knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this servant deserves death. I shouldn't have fallen asleep."

[I think Pei Yan won't be able to tell from my poor acting skills]

Pei Yan sat down, straightened his clothes and said, "This won't happen again."

Lu An exhaled.

【My little Anzi lived another day】

[Wow, wow, it’s really not easy for me]

Eunuch De was secretly shocked and looked at Lu An deeply.

Lu An got off the carriage first. When he saw Pei Yan getting off the carriage, he diligently brought a small stool and raised his arm for Pei Yan to use as leverage.

Pei Yan saw that Lu An was being courteous to him for no reason, so he did not refuse. After all, his shoulders were still sore.

Mo Yuan watched the two people get off the carriage and ignored them. He looked straight into the carriage to see Xuanying. The moment he saw Xuanying, Mo Yuan said excitedly: "I haven't seen you for a long time, Xuanying, did you miss me?" Xuanying shook her head when she heard it, and Mo Yuan did not read or reply.

Mo Yuan continued, "Xuan Ying misses me too, right? I miss you too. I'll take you out to play in a while, okay? If you don't say anything, I'll take it as your consent."

[There are such shameless people in the world]

[Didn’t you see that my Xuanying shook his head? 】

【A good dog man】

[No, Mo Yuan is not a human]

After Mo Yuan finished teasing Xuan Ying, he said to Pei Yan in a serious tone: "The person you want to see is waiting upstairs."

Lu An looked at Pei Yan in confusion.

[What happened to Pei Yan]

[Aren’t you coming to the restaurant to eat?] 】

After Pei Yan and his group went upstairs, they asked Lu An, Eunuch De and Xuan Ying to go to the private room, while he and Mo Yuan went into the private room next door.

No one was alarmed by Pei Yan's leaving the palace this time. Only Mo Yuan knew that he came out this time to meet the Zhao family, one of the aristocratic families behind the empress dowager, because of the salt tax. If he dared to embezzle the salt tax, Pei Yan would make him spit out what he had eaten.

The dishes were served not long after Lu An entered the private room, but Lu An did not dare to move until Eunuch De said, "You can start eating." Then Lu An started eating.

[This is so delicious]

[So Pei Yan left the palace for some important matter this time? 】

[Forget it, I'd better eat first]

At this time, the emperor in the next private room was wearing casual clothes, a moon-white long gown, a dark blue jacket, and a black silk ribbon tied around his waist, looking elegant and low-key. He sat upright at the table, playing with a celadon wine glass in his hand, looking through the half-open window at the street scene in the distance. His expression was indifferent, but there was a hint of oppression in his eyes.

Opposite him, Zhao Yuanshan, the patriarch of the Zhao family, stood with his body bent. Although he was over fifty years old, he had an upright figure and a sharp gaze. He was wearing a dark blue brocade robe embroidered with dark bamboo leaves, which made him look calm and elegant. Zhao Yuanshan bowed his head slightly, his tone respectful but not servile: "Your Majesty has summoned me, what do you want me to do?"

The emperor withdrew his gaze and smiled faintly: "My dear Zhao, there is no need to be polite. Today we are just chatting. Please sit down."

Zhao Yuanshan thanked him and sat down slowly, but he did not dare to relax at all.

There were a few exquisite side dishes on the table, and a pot of warm osmanthus wine exuding a faint fragrance. The emperor picked up the wine glass and took a sip. His tone was casual but meaningful: "My dear Zhao, the salt tax issue in Jiangnan has been making a lot of noise recently. Have you heard about it?"

Zhao Yuanshan was startled, but his expression remained calm: "Your Majesty, I have also heard about this. However, the Zhao family has been loyal to the emperor and patriotic for generations, and we would never dare to deceive anyone. If there is really a deficit, it must be caused by the subordinates. I will investigate it thoroughly and give Your Majesty an explanation."

The emperor chuckled and tapped the table with his fingertips: "Lord Zhao is indeed loyal. However, I think that the salt industry is related to the national economy and people's livelihood. If it continues to be dominated by one company, it may not be appropriate.

How about...divide and conquer? ”

Zhao Yuanshan frowned slightly, knowing that the emperor wanted to weaken the power of the Zhao family. He pondered for a moment and said slowly: "Your Majesty is wise. The salt industry does need to be rectified. However, the Zhao family has been in the business for generations and is familiar with salt affairs. If power is suddenly divided, chaos may occur. It is better for the Zhao family to take the lead and assist the court in rectifying the salt affairs, which can not only ensure the stability of the salt industry, but also increase revenue for the national treasury."

The emperor's eyes fixed, and he looked at Zhao Yuanshan with a half-smile: "What Zhao Aiqing said is reasonable. However, I have another thing - I heard that the Zhao family's ancestral home covers an area of ​​100 acres, and it is magnificent and comparable to a royal palace. I wonder if Zhao Aiqing has any explanation for this?"

Zhao Yuanshan's heart sank, knowing that the emperor was taking advantage of the situation. He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, please understand. The Zhao family's ancestral home was built by our ancestors and has withstood a hundred years of wind and rain. Although it is large in scale, it has never exceeded the regulations. The Zhao family has served as officials for generations, and they are honest and self-disciplined. They would never dare to overstep their boundaries."

The emperor nodded slightly, and his tone softened a bit: "I know that Zhao Aiqing is loyal. However, a big tree attracts the wind, and the Zhao family is powerful, so it is inevitable that people will criticize it. How about... the Zhao family voluntarily donate part of the salt industry and part of the ancestral property to show their loyalty?"

Zhao Yuanshan was silent for a moment, weighing the pros and cons in his mind. He knew that if he did not give in today, the Zhao family would not be able to escape unscathed. Finally, he bowed and said firmly, "Your Majesty is right. The Zhao family is willing to donate 30% of the salt industry and half of the ancestral property to help the court provide relief to the victims."

The emperor nodded with satisfaction, a smile on his face: "Lord Zhao is indeed very righteous. I am very pleased. Come, let's drink together."

The two men raised their glasses and drank from each other. As the aroma of wine filled the air, Zhao Yuanshan knew in his heart that although this negotiation had temporarily calmed the emperor's suspicions, the Zhao family's power was no longer as strong as before.

He secretly clenched his fists and sighed in his heart: "The Zhao family's century-old foundation must not decline like this. Today's retreat is only for tomorrow's advancement."